Deepa Malik, the country's first female para athlete conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, announced her retirement on Monday. She took this major decision today after assuming her post as the chairman of the Paralympic Committee. Deepa says that the player inside her will always be alive, there is a need to see the big picture to promote the budding para-athletes in the country. To avoid conflict of interest, Deepa had to take this decision with a heavy heart. According to the National Sports Code, an active athlete cannot hold an official position in any federation and due to this rule, this athlete coming from Haryana had to declare her retirement. She also hinted that she might reconsider her decision during the 2022 Asian Games.
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The president was elected unopposed in February only: 49-year-old Deepa, who won a silver medal in the throwing (F-53 event) at the Rio Olympics, was elected the new chairman of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) on 1 February 2020, but results of the election were to be valid after hearing a pending case in Delhi High Court. Gursharan Singh, who was appointed acting president after the removal of former president Rao Inderjit Singh, was also elected unopposed general secretary. Kavinder Chaudhary and Shashi Ranjan were elected vice-presidents, while M Mahadeva was elected treasurer. Nala Nandkishore Baburao and Kantilal Parmar became co-secretaries.
Deepa has excelled in many sports: Along with Shotput and Javelin Throw, there is a disabled Indian player in swimming and motor wrestling who created history by winning a silver medal in Shotput at the 2016 Paralympics. Despite three tumor surgeries and lower body numbness at the age of 30, she has not only won medals at the National International Competition in Shotput and Jewel Throw, but has also participated in many events in swimming and motor wrestling. She has received 33 gold and 4 silver medals in India's national competitions. She is the first woman in India to be invited to a Himalayan car rally.
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In the year 2008 and 2009, she took part in the Limca Book of World Records twice by participating in swimming and special bike rides in the Yamuna River. Not only this, in 2007, she won silver and bronze medals in Taiwan and 2008 in Berlin, Javelin throw and participated in swimming. She was also selected in the Commonwealth Games team. She was awarded the Arjuna Award by the Government of India due to her remarkable achievements in Paralympic Games. Deepa won her first medal (bronze) in the shot put in 2009. The next year, it did so amazing that Shotput, Discus Throw and Javelin won gold medals in all three in England. That year Deepa's stars were at the top and won a bronze medal at the Para Asian Games in China. She became the first Indian woman to win a bronze there.
Deepa won a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in 2011. The same year won two bronze medals at the World Games in Sharjahan. She won two gold medals at the 2012 Malaysia Open Athletics Championships in Javelin and Discus Throw. She won Gold Medal in Shotput at the 2014 China Open Athletics Championships in Beijing. The same year set a record by winning a silver medal in the Incheon Asian Para Games.
